GM No Longer Installing HD Radios

[TheBigA]

Actually, the conversion to HD capability was relatively slow outside of the very top markets.

What you had was the HD Alliance, which was the Top 10 biggest radio companies all supporting HD. That dropped off after a few years.

Also a lot of NPR stations were early adopters, and many are still using it now.

How else could they possibly have made money otherwise?

By planning for the long term, like 20 years. My sense is they knew it was a short term deal, just enough so iBiquity could sell to DTS.

 

[Y2kTheNewOldies]

This sounds expected to hear HD radio fading away from cars like GM given where we are now such as IOS Carplay and Android Auto has to be a factor on the dashboards on newer cars.

 

[radiofan2023]

@davideduardo Was it you or someone else that mentioned some stations gave away HD radios when the technology first came out?

 

[nitroengine]

I can imagine broadcasters are not thrilled with the decrease in HD tuner availablility. A lot of money spent buying, installing and maintaining the equipment, licensing to Xperi, plus increased licensing for music.

However, since so many stations are licensing FM translators to HD subchannels, I don't expect HD to fade away anytime soon, at least not in larger markets. They are even activating HD5 subchannels just to license a translator to. Knowing that a majority of HD capable receivers out there cannot tune beyond HD4.

Hubbard Turns on an HD5 Audio Channel - Radio World

An FM station in northern Virginia is broadcasting what is believed to be the first HD5 audio subchannel in regular service.

www.radioworld.com

You can find a few newly produced portable and stereo component HD capable radios and tuners online, but you cannot just walk into a Walmart, or even a Best Buy to buy one. It's been that way for a number of years now. Even ~15 years ago, your selection was limited at stores like Best Buy. It was the same situation for AM stereo radios and tuners in the 80s and 90s. People like to say that it's the conumer who is rejecting the techolongy, but it's more so the manufacturers who are choosing for you. The average consumer needs to be able to walk into a Target store and buy a AM/FM table radio with HD. And one that isn't a few hundred dollars more than non-HD options, and isn't ugly as sin. Same goes for new cars. Radio people may walk away from a new car just because it doesn't have AM or HD, but that may not be high on the list for the average public.

 

[thenetwork]

My response is that if the content is good enough and exclusive enough, then you will sit through the ad in order to get to it.

Somewhat related: There is a certain channel I prefer to watch for the local news, however, my rabbit ears cannot pick it up without a lot of extra effort. So I stream their station's Roku Channel.

This is a Nexstar-owned station, BTW.

I had to stop streaming their channel because during every one of their commercial breaks, they played alternate ads -- if any. Usually they do one station promotional ad, while the other 2:30 are a random playlist of the same 8-10 PSAs instead of just a static shot or random video scenery clips saying "We'll be back after the break".

Let's just say seeing and hearing the same Sesame Street-themed (etal) PSA with Elmo 3 or 4 times in an hour, 5 days a week over the course of 3-4 months will cause 98% of the viewers to stream or change to another channel.

I dont know if this is a Nexstar-wide practice.or the local station being stupid.

 

[radiofan2023]

Somewhat related: There is a certain channel I prefer to watch for the local news, however, my rabbit ears cannot pick it up without a lot of extra effort. So I stream their station's Roku Channel.

This is a Nexstar-owned station, BTW.

I had to stop streaming their channel because during every one of their commercial breaks, they played alternate ads -- if any. Usually they do one station promotional ad, while the other 2:30 are a random playlist of the same 8-10 PSAs instead of just a static shot or random video scenery clips saying "We'll be back after the break".

Let's just say seeing and hearing the same Sesame Street-themed (etal) PSA with Elmo 3 or 4 times in an hour, 5 days a week over the course of 3-4 months will cause 98% of the viewers to stream or change to another channel.

I dont know if this is a Nexstar-wide practice.or the local station being stupid.

What station is it? I want to see how annoying those PSA's are.

 

[davideduardo]

What you had was the HD Alliance, which was the Top 10 biggest radio companies all supporting HD. That dropped off after a few years.

It was 8 of the biggest station owners. We joined as HBC, and I was the company rep. But we dropped out in first year out o f disagreement on strategy and the possible. Antitrust issues in the Alliance wanting to approve the initial HD formats.

By planning for the long term, like 20 years. My sense is they knew it was a short term deal, just enough so iBiquity could sell to DTS.

There was no thought then that HD was short term. In fact, meant thought it was radio’s answer to the internet.

 

[davideduardo]

@davideduardo Was it you or someone else that mentioned some stations gave away HD radios when the technology first came out?

Not me.

 

[ted chittenden]

@davideduardo Was it you or someone else that mentioned some stations gave away HD radios when the technology first came out?

While I have no idea who made that mention, I can tell you that that is how I got my only HD receiver. It's a tabletop model that came courtesy of the local radio reading service for the blind. Interestingly enough, that service is still holding on to its subcarrier outlets in Phoenix, Flagstaff, and Tucson, while running HD channels on (at least in Phoenix) a separate radio station.

Since I got the HD receiver, the supplier has added a new model that the radio reading service is providing to new patrons and anybody else who wishes to change receivers. While my current receiver does have some shortcomings, I do not plan to make an exchange unless I absolutely have to--word on the grapevine is that the new receivers are locked in to only the radio reading service and no ability to switch channels.

 

[wadio]

What station is it? I want to see how annoying those PSA's are.

If you're in a different geographic area you'll likely get different PSAs.

 

[kevtronics]

Also a lot of NPR stations were early adopters, and many are still using it now.

NY Public Radio abandoned their plans to use 820 WNYC as a testbed for digital-only HD Radio on AM.

WNYC-FM is transmitting HD Radio, but WNYC-AM hasn't used it in years.

 

[radiofan2023]

While I have no idea who made that mention, I can tell you that that is how I got my only HD receiver. It's a tabletop model that came courtesy of the local radio reading service for the blind. Interestingly enough, that service is still holding on to its subcarrier outlets in Phoenix, Flagstaff, and Tucson, while running HD channels on (at least in Phoenix) a separate radio station.

Since I got the HD receiver, the supplier has added a new model that the radio reading service is providing to new patrons and anybody else who wishes to change receivers. While my current receiver does have some shortcomings, I do not plan to make an exchange unless I absolutely have to--word on the grapevine is that the new receivers are locked in to only the radio reading service and no ability to switch channels.

There are specialized radios like that that are locked into the frequency of the radio reading service (or used to be). I used to help out a lady with macular degeneration who had one. Also some radio reading services for the blind are/have been on tv subchannels, the Iowa Radio Reading Service for the blind is on Iowa Public TV's subchannel in Iowa City.

 

[Mediafrog+]

There are specialized radios like that that are locked into the frequency of the radio reading service (or used to be). I used to help out a lady with macular degeneration who had one. Also some radio reading services for the blind are/have been on tv subchannels, the Iowa Radio Reading Service for the blind is on Iowa Public TV's subchannel in Iowa City.

Here in Houston the reading service (marketed as “Sight into Sound”) was on the 67 kHz SCA of KUHF 88.7 for many decades, but has been moved to the station’s HD-4 and also airs on sibling PBS KUHT 8.5.

 

[nitroengine]

I picked this up from a thrift store years ago. Old Minnesota Radio Talking Book receiver. 67 kHz SCA receiver with the tuning fixed on 91.1 KNOW (KSJN until 1989). It worked when I got it, but they have since discontinued the SCA broadcasts. I have thought about installing a bluetooth receiver in it.

 

[pattywells]

I turned off my HD radio in my car once they started putting ads on the RDS.

The Radio Reading Services are neat. I think WGTD still operates an actual RRS. The RRS on KNOW is now digital. Radio Talking Book / State Services for the Blind

 

[speer360]

A lot of money spent buying, installing and maintaining the equipment, licensing to Xperi, plus increased licensing for music.

Doesn't mean anything if the technology makes no sense to the end user.

Take the average person who doesn't understand how radio works and ask them to find a HD subchannel, they will fail.

 

[nitroengine]

Doesn't mean anything if the technology makes no sense to the end user.

Take the average person who doesn't understand how radio works and ask them to find a HD subchannel, they will fail.

If they have an HD radio in their car, they won't have a problem. If their car doesn't have HD, then either they're SOL, or if they never had an HD radio, they don't know what they're missing.

Every time the big FM stations on the Shoreview towers here in the Twin Cities move to their aux site on top of the IDS center in downtown Minneapolis, 830 WCCO receives calls and messages from listeners informing them that they cannot hear them on 102.9 HD2. 102.9 KMNB doesn't have IBOC on their aux transmitter. I had to explain this to my non-technical cousins too who have wondered why they lose WCCO on 102.9 HD2 every once in awhile. They drive a VW EV that doesn't have AM radio.

 

[speer360]

If they have an HD radio in their car, they won't have a problem.

The large majority of people with HD radios in the car, don't know how to use it if they even know they have it.

They certainly wouldn't be able to find a sub channel. Having to go to the host channel and wait for the others to show up is unintuitive in 2026 and not how ANY other broadcast technology works.

 

[KC8UOK]

Unfortunately, for many, HD radio's highest and best use (for now) is to feed an FM translator. And you don't need in car listening for that.

Exactly what KDWN does here. I do not have HD and the local SDR here shows HD signal is not as good as FM so kinda pointless to upgrade the car radio

 

[TexasTom]

I turned off my HD radio in my car once they started putting ads on the RDS.

RDS is separate from HD radio -- although I agree that the ads can be annoying. But years ago, I remember driving up towards Lake Texoma, and when I tuned my car radio (which was analog-only, no HD radio) to the local Top 40 station up there, the RDS display was the phone number for a bail bonds company.

Talk about making a negative impression.